Torch Song
by redroses100
Summary: AU where Bilbo is a Torch Singer in the Roaring Twenties who finally catches a break and is hired in the Erebor speak easy, working for Boss Thrain Durin and his son, Thorin. But there might be trouble on the horizon, if Boss Smaug has anything to say about it.


_AN: This is a 1920's AU where Bilbo is a new Torch Singer in the Erebor Speak Easy and pretty much every other character is in a gang of some kind. The song he sings is My Angel Put the Devil in Me. It's from Doctor Who, just type it into YouTube and it'll pop up._

OOOOO

Bilbo swallowed anxiously. He had been ecstatic to be hired as a Torch Singer for the Erebor Speak Easy, but tonight was his first night and he was very nervous. There weren't many male Torch Singers, and many people were wary of him, until they heard him sing. If they gave him a chance in the first place. He was so glad Thrain Durin, the infamous Mob Boss of the Sons of Durin, had given him a chance. He was also glad he had impressed the imposing man, because he had heard horror stories about what happened to people who had failed to do so.

"Bilbo, lad, you look like you're about to be sick." His new friend, Bofur, mentioned with a smile. Bofur was his pianist, the one he had only met a few days ago at his audition, but they had become fast friends during his rehearsals.

"I think I might be." Bilbo murmured after a shaky breath. Bofur laughed and slung his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders.

"Relax! This can't be more nerve wracking than the audition was, can it?"

"I _did_ get sick that day." Bilbo informed him. Bofur smiled a little half smile and hugged his friend.

"You'll do great." Bofur assured him. "Hey, come here." Bofur looped his arm through Bilbo's and pulled him over to a little curtain that covered the entrance to the club from the back stage area. He pulled it to the side just enough that the two of them could peek out. Bilbo felt his face drain at the sheer number of people in the speak easy.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Bilbo hissed. Bofur rolled his eyes, and pointed to the large circular booth at the back of the large, dimly lit room. It was reserved for Boss Thrain and his friends. Sitting next to the majestic bear of a man was a younger, more handsome version of the Boss. While Thrain's hair had started to turn white, and there were wrinkles around his lips and eyes, there was nothing old about the man to his side. His hair was a lush black and Bilbo could see his sharp blue eyes all the way across the club. But he looked even more serious than his father, for the pair just had to be related.

"That's Thorin, Thrain's son. And since Thorin is here, it's unlikely Thrain will be paying much attention to us anyway. So just relax. The crowd will love you, and the Boss is busy." Bilbo sighed and tried to convince himself to calm down. His eyes caught on another tall, dark, and handsome face on the opposite side of the room from Thrain and Thorin.

"Who's that Bofur?" Bilbo whispered, pointing to the strange face. Bofur looked, before scowling and looking back at the Boss and his brood.

"That is Boss Smaug. I'm surprised he got in again. He had a bad habit of it, and he's so slippery he usually succeeds in getting in." Bofur told him bitterly. Bilbo gasped.

"Boss Smaug? As in the Mob Boss of The Dragon's?" Bilbo couldn't believe his bad luck.

"Come on, you're on in a few minutes. Just don't think about it. I'm sure once Dwalin catches sight of him, he'll be out in a blink." Bofur assured him. But Bilbo's stomach was still roiling. What if he messed up? I mean sure, he had been practicing for nearly a week and he could sing the song in his sleep. But that didn't mean he was safe from failure.

"Baggins, you're on!" The backstage manager, Bard, barked at him. Bilbo nodded, and then exchanged a look with Bofur. The pianist went out first, hoots and hollers from his friends in the audience making Bilbo smile a little.

"Introducing, for the first time, Mister Bilbo Baggins!" Bofur spoke into the microphone, and as people began to cheer, Bilbo walked out from behind the curtain to take his place on the stage. Bilbo gave a pleasant, if a little shy, smile to the audience and firmly kept his gaze away from the Boss table, or from the area he had seen Boss Smaug in. The band behind him started playing the intro to his first song, and Bilbo took a few deep breaths. He glanced at Bofur, who winked quickly, and then he breathed in deep to start singing.

"_I'm a country boy, I ain't seen a lot, but you came along and my heart went pop!_

_You took a little street car to my heart, and an apple of love fell off my apple cart! _

_You looked at me, my heart began to pound. You weren't the sort of guy I thought would stick around._

_Hey, but it don't have to be eternally. _

_My bad, bad angel put the Devil in me!_

_You put the devil in me..._

_You lured me in with your cold grey eyes, your simple smile and your bewitching lies_

_One and one and one is three; My bad, bad Angel, the devil, and me_

_You put the Devil in me... You put the Devil in me... You put the Devil in me..._

_My bad, bad Angel, you put the Devil in me._

_So now, my dear, I ain't the boy you knew. Cause the Angel's got Heaven, but I get you. _

_And the tree of life grows tall you see._

_My bad, bad Angel, you put the Devil in me! Oh you put the Devil in me!_

_You put the Devil in me!_

_You put the Devil in me..._

_You put the Devil in me..._

_My bad, bad Angel, you put the Devil in me!" _

For a few moments after the band stopped playing, there was an absolute silence throughout the entire speak easy. In those few moments, Bilbo felt like he would die on the spot. And then they were cheering, so loud and so very intensely, that all he could do was smile.

"Bilbo Baggins, ladies and gentlemen!" Bofur announced again and dragged a shocked Bilbo off the stage. "See, what did I tell you! They loved you!" Bofur said excitedly. Bilbo still looked a little shell shocked, a dopey grin stuck on his angelic little face.

"They liked me! Bofur they liked me! Oh just you wait until I write to my cousins! Lobelia said I would never make it in the city, but oh will she sure eat those words!" Bilbo rejoiced, hugging Bofur fiercely. "Oh, I didn't even think to look at the Boss! Did he like it? Did he even hear me? You said he wouldn't be paying attention because of his son! Do you think he listened?" Bofur didn't answer, just looked blankly over Bilbo's shoulder. The boy cocked his head to the side in question, and then realization dawned on him. He slowly turned, coming face to face with Boss Thrain and his son, Thorin. "Oh dear." Bilbo gasped. But luckily, Thrain was smiling.

"You did marvelous Mister Baggins. Just like I knew you would. My son wanted me to introduce him to you. This is Thorin." Thrain slapped a paw like hand on his son's shoulder, but Thorin hardly flinched. He was too busy observing Bilbo intently. It made Bilbo blush just from the intensity of his fire blue eyes.

"Mister Baggins." Thorin reached out a hand for Bilbo to shake, and the smaller boy stared at it for a few moments before remembering what to do.

"Sorry, he's still a little high on adrenaline." Bofur excused for him. Bilbo blushed even brighter and tried to stutter out a defense. Thorin smiled and brought Bilbo's hand to his lips. He kissed the small hand on his knuckles, never breaking eye contact with the singer.

"It's a pleasure to have such an accomplished singer in my father's establishment. The last few have been...acceptable at best." Thorin glanced at Thrain, who rolled his eyes. Bilbo shuddered, because he had heard all about the old singers of Erebor, and how they turned out. "Will you be singing again?" Thorin asked. Bilbo couldn't help but notice that the younger Durin was still holding his hand, his grip very firm, but not painful.

"Um, not tonight. I think I'm scheduled for Saturday." Bilbo said awkwardly.

"Well, I'll have to change that. You are available for tomorrow night, right?" Thrain asked, one bushy eyebrow raised. Bilbo's eyes went wide, and he nodded dumbly. "Excellent. I know my patrons will be pleased to see you back so soon. As will my son, it seems." Thorin glared at his father and finally let go of Bilbo's hand.

"T-Thank you sir." Bilbo stuttered lightly. Thrain chuckled to himself, patted Bilbo firmly on his shoulder and turned to return to the club. Thorin remained.

"I'm gonna go change Bilbo." Bofur told him with a sly wink before disappearing in the opposite direction. Bilbo swallowed thickly before looking up at Thorin.

"So where have you been hiding? I would have thought, with your talent, I'd have heard of you before now." Thorin asked warmly. Bilbo laughed shortly.

"I don't think I am that talented. Just a country boy dreaming of making it big, just like everybody else in New York." Bilbo shrugged. Thorin gave him a look that suggested he was being silly, and gestured for him to continue. "Well, I grew up in a little town called the Shire. My parents died just before my eighteenth birthday so I was living with my cousins Lobelia and Otho. When I told them I was going to New York they nearly fainted on the spot. I've been here for a few months now, auditioning where ever I can. Most people say men can't be Torch Singers, but I really enjoy it." Bilbo explained, sometimes unable to meet Thorin's relentless and powerful gaze.

"It's fortunate you didn't give up. It would be a shame for the world to miss out on your lovely voice." Thorin complimented. He apparently liked making Bilbo blush.

"Always the charmer Thorin." They both looked to the side, where Boss Smaug was leaning casually against the wall. Bilbo hadn't seen or heard him approach. He looked between the two glaring men and wondered briefly if he should slip away before they turned back to him. But it was too late. Smaug's eyes flicked from Thorin to Bilbo and a rather reptilian smirk spread across his handsome face. "Smaug Drake. I very much enjoyed hearing you sing. Such a pity you're stuck on such a drab little stage." As he spoke he sauntered over to Bilbo. He snatched the startled boy's hand and kissed it as well, his golden eyes blazing down at Bilbo.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Thorin hissed. "You're not welcome in Erebor."

"Oh, you don't have to remind me. The stab wound is healing nicely, by the way."

"And yet you still can't take a hint."

"Never." Smaug smirked. "And I like to keep tabs on the Sons. Just for personal comfort." He added, but in a bored tone. "So Bilbo, you come from the country. How quaint. And are all the country boys as adorable as you, or are you a limited edition?" Bilbo blushed fiercely, but before he could say anything, Thorin had pulled a pistol from his jacket pocket.

"Out. Before I give you another hole. Maybe a more lethal one." Thorin commanded. Smaug rolled his eyes, ran a pointed nail down Bilbo's face, and left with a satisfied smirk.

"You think you're at the top of the food chain Oakenshield. But you're not." The Dragon Boss called over his shoulder before walking through the curtain. Bilbo didn't quite know what to make of the situation. He half considered just walking away, but once again he was foiled. Thorin turned to him with a sigh, putting his gun back in his jacket.

"I'm sorry about him. We try to keep him out, but he always manages to slip in anyways." Thorin told him regretfully.

"It's alright. I've met worse." His cousins came to mind. "Why did he call you Oakenshield?" Bilbo couldn't help but to be curious. Thorin chuckled.

"It has to do with another crime Boss, Azog. He killed my grandfather, so I killed him with an Oak baseball bat." Thorin flashed a toothy smile, and Bilbo felt his stomach knot up. Thorin seemed to remember that he was talking to a country boy, only recently turned Torch Singer, and not someone in his Mob Family. He grimaced and looked at Bilbo apologetically. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I should probably get used to it." Bilbo said awkwardly. They stood, just avoiding each others eyes, for a few moments before Bilbo cleared his throat. "I should go change too. This tux is nice, but it's not that comfortable." Bilbo gestured down at himself.

"Of course. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow evening then." Thorin said hopefully. Bilbo smiled in spite of himself.

"Yeah." He bit his lip out of habit, and he saw Thorin's eyes lock on the little tick. The junior crime boss reached out and ran his thumb over Bilbo's bottom lip, coaxing it out from between his teeth. Thorin stared intently at his lips for a long moment before dropping his hand with an easy smile. Bilbo tried to return it, but he was blushing so darkly he thought it might be melting his brain, and the part of it that dictated manners.

"I look forward to it. Bilbo." Thorin nodded and turned on his heal back towards the club. Bilbo watched him go, his insides a mess of nerves and emotions and holy-Talulla-he-touched-my-lips! He was still standing stock still right where Thorin left him when Bofur walked up to him laughing.

"He's something, that Thorin. Did he kiss ya?" Bofur asked nosily, and Bilbo sputtered indignantly. Bofur laughed even louder. "Calm down Bilbo! Just teasing you. Come on, you gotta get changed so we can go home." Bofur ordered, steering the paralyzed singer away to the dressing room. Bilbo didn't even try to hide his dopey smile as he let Bofur tow him along. His opening night. It went much better than he expected it to.

OOOOO

_AN: So this is intended as a one shot, because honestly I can't think of a good plot to go on. But if someone has a good idea for a plot, I could be persuaded to continue. Hope you liked it! _


End file.
